At six o'clock the following morning, the crisp morning air gently brushed against Alan and Laxus through the window.
Alan slowly opened his eyes, and Laxus, sleeping in the other bed, woke up at almost the exact same moment. Their gazes met, and after confirming that both were awake, they quickly got up and began a simple wash-up.
Once finished, they lightheartedly shouldered their backpacks, intending to slip away quietly without making a sound. As they crept softly downstairs, however, they found Bickslow, Ur, Damon, and Uriel sitting quietly in the spacious ground-floor lobby, as if specifically waiting for the two of them.
Just then, the sharp-eyed Bickslow noticed Alan and Laxus walking down the stairs. A warm, amiable smile instantly appeared on his face as he squinted, waved to the pair, and greeted them enthusiastically: "Yo, little fellows, you're up really early! Come on, come, would you like to join us for a bite to eat?" Hearing this, Alan and Laxus first responded with polite nods: "Good morning, old man! Thank you for the kind offer, but we won't eat. We can just grab something to fill our stomachs along the way later."
Yet Bickslow seemed to have anticipated Alan's reply; without changing expression, he subtly cast a gaze toward Ur beside him. Ur understood immediately, stood up at once, picked up a bulging bag placed by his side, and strode over to Alan to hand it to him. When Alan tried to decline, Ur firmly grasped Alan's hands and said, "This bag of things is no big deal—just some food. This is only right for us to do, so don't refuse."
Unable to win against Ur, Alan ultimately had to accept the heavy bag of food with a resigned expression. Seeing this, Bickslow hurried forward, first giving Alan a warm, powerful embrace, then gently patting him on the back and earnestly exhorting him: "I know both of you are very strong, but the road ahead is long and full of perils—you must never lower your guard! If you have free time, come visit us more often."
Hearing Bickslow's words of concern, Alan exchanged glances with Laxus beside him, and the two nodded very solemnly, indicating they would remember Bickslow's admonition.
Looking earnestly at the four people before him, Alan offered his sincere thanks: "Thank you all for your generous hospitality. We will definitely be doubly careful and cautious. See you when we return!" With that, accompanied by these deeply affectionate words of farewell, Alan and Laxus stepped out through the doors of Cat's Pupil together.
Though Laxus was still young, and had experienced a similarly sorrowful parting scene not long ago, his emotions remained difficult to settle when going through it once more at this very moment. Thus, even after they had walked for some distance, Laxus could still deeply feel the sincere and passionate warmth from Bickslow and the other three.
Compared to Laxus's turbulent inner waves, Alan appeared exceptionally calm and steady this time. He did not comfort Laxus as he might have in the past, because he knew very well that for a child of this age, certain emotions needed to be slowly digested and endured on one's own.
Just as expected, after silently trekking along the road for a while, Laxus gradually recovered from his low spirits, returning to his usual lively and active self. At last, he had the leisure to start noticing the surrounding scenery.
Unwittingly looking up, he was surprised to find Alan leading him in the direction of the mountain, so he asked curiously, "Big brother, are we getting ready to go up the mountain now?"
Alan nodded slightly, then unfolded the map he held tightly in his hand, pointed to a location on it, and explained to Laxus beside him: "We are currently around Albanis. According to my planned route, we need to cross straight through Mount Hakobane and then reach the northernmost city of Fiore, Crite. Once we successfully reach our destination, we'll turn around and cross the Sea of Trees of Valsa, after which we'll arrive at Clover. By that time, we'll take the train back to Magnolia. According to plan, we are supposed to finish this training journey within two years, but the actual itinerary will still depend on circumstances." Having said this, Alan stared fixedly at Laxus, expecting some sort of response or suggestion from him.
Yet Laxus at this moment looked somewhat absent-minded, staring blankly at Alan as he gestured back and forth across the map. As for what Alan had actually said, he hadn't heard a single word. But it didn't matter; for Laxus, as long as he kept walking behind Alan, there was no need to worry too much about anything else.
Naturally, Alan noticed the bewildered look on Laxus's face. He couldn't help shaking his head helplessly, gently tapping his own forehead with the hand holding the map, and muttering inwardly: Why is this guy always so absent-minded? But now wasn't the time to complain—he had better hurry up and get moving.
Thus, Alan quickly folded the map away into his pack, said no more, and simply waved at Laxus to signal their departure.
Before long, the two finally arrived at the foot of Mount Hakobane. They stopped in unison and looked up to gaze at the enormous mountain range towering into the clouds.
From the middle section onward, the entire mountain range was tightly enveloped in a thick layer of pristine ice and snow, as if draped in a magnificently ornate silver garment, while its peak remained hidden amidst hazy, ethereal clouds.
At that moment, Alan retrieved the map from his backpack, scanning the surrounding environment while looking at it, seemingly trying to find some clues or landmarks to determine their direction of advance. After a period of thought and comparison, Alan selected a route and strode forward without hesitation, with Laxus following closely behind.
At first, the mountain path at the foot of the mountain was relatively flat and not difficult to walk. However, as they gradually ventured deeper into the mountain, the road grew increasingly rugged and uneven. The previously dense forest gradually thinned out, with trees on either side becoming scarcer, replaced by steep cliffs and craggy slopes. Meanwhile, pure white snowflakes drifted down in swarms from the sky, and a bone-chilling cold rushed toward them. Sensing the sudden drop in temperature, Alan and Laxus swiftly dug thick cotton coats out of their respective backpacks and nimbly put them on to guard against the biting cold and keep from catching a chill.
Just as the two of them were completely absorbed in climbing the mountain with their heads down, a strange sound suddenly broke the original tranquility of the mountains. The noise sounded like the screech of a night owl and the roar of a fierce beast all at once, instantly capturing their attention.
Alan and Laxus exchanged a glance, understanding each other without a word, and hurriedly searched for a nearby hiding spot to conceal their figures. Soon, they discovered a recessed spot behind a massive boulder, and the two quickly ducked in, crouching low. Peering through a crack in the rocks toward the source of the sound, they wanted to see what kind of creature was making such a bizarre commotion.
Before long, the strange sound rang out again, this time accompanied by the distinct thud of running animals. Directly following that, a robust mountain goat came hurtling toward Alan's location like an arrow loosed from a bow. Its eyes were filled with terror, its four hooves flying as if a terrifying pursuer was hot on its heels. Sure enough, not far behind the goat, several gorilla-like monsters suddenly appeared. These monsters were tall and muscular, with sharp fangs bared and ferocious, terrifying countenances. Roaring, they brandished their claws as they gave chase to the fleeing goat ahead.
Seeing this scene, Alan lowered his voice and said to Laxus, whose expression was equally grave: "These gorilla monsters are Balkans. They usually travel in packs, are exceptionally ferocious and cruel by nature, and belong to carnivorous creatures. Unless it is an absolute last resort, we must never easily provoke a Balkan." With that, Alan's gaze remained firmly locked on the rapidly approaching group of Balkans, ready to handle any sudden emergency at a moment's notice.